Tag: janellekranz

By janellekranz

Dear Janelle,

I know this week has been somewhat of a rough week. After listening to Portuguese and speaking English for a week in Brasil, coming back to Argentina and speaking and understanding Spanish was pretty difficult. It’s hard to believe that just one week away can make so much of a difference.

I’ve never realized the truth to the phrase “Use it or lose it” until now. At least now I know that my Spanish must be constant; in order to have any hope of being good, I have to use the language every single day. Even when I return to the US, I need to find ways to keep speaking and listening each day – and that starts here, while I’m in Buenos Aires.

...continue reading "Dear Janelle,"

By janellekranz

Dear Buenos Aires,

I like to say that I’ve always been a pretty self-sufficient kid, researching decisions before I made them and working since I was 14 years old. But traveling and being abroad alone gives “self-sufficiency” a whole new meaning, and it is oftentimes uncomfortable.

When I first arrived here, I had to stay in a hostel the night before meeting up with my SIT group. I had booked everything in advance online, including a shuttle that would take me from the airport to my hostel – or so I thought. Everything was going relatively well after my marathon trip from NYC to BA, and the shuttle even came to the airport relatively on-time. However, when I got into the shuttle van, I realized I couldn’t talk to the driver.

...continue reading "Dear Buenos Aires"

By janellekranz

To the Cafés of Argentina:

I wouldn’t even think of buying coffee just a few years ago, no matter where I was in the world. About two years ago, slowly but surely, I became addicted to coffee – but I don’t mean physically addicted; I am addicted to the world of coffee. I like knowing where coffee beans come from, learning the nuances among different preparations, and looking for the variety of tastes and smells in each cup. My favorite part of the coffee experience, however, is taking time to enjoy it.

...continue reading "To the Cafés of Argentina:"

By janellekranz

Dear Traveler,

Prepare yourself. You are going to be asked, “Do you feel homesick?” about a million times while you’re gone. It can be a tricky question to answer, especially in your first week abroad. You’re meeting new people, trying new foods, living a different lifestyle – but by no means do you forget where you came from.

I try to avoid the “homesickness discussion” because it involves telling people – who many times don’t care – about my feelings. Sometimes I feel ashamed of being homesick because I realize that nurturing the homesickness means missing out on fun activities in a new country. Other times I use it as fuel to do something fun, and that reminds me of the endless possibilities that come with a new place to live.

...continue reading "Dear Traveler"

By janellekranz

Hello again my fellow American,

This week was incredibly weird. My study abroad crew traveled to Paraguay to tackle the third unit of our development class, and I was shocked at what being an American means in Paraguay.

This week I spoke with Paraguayan citizens, learned from Paraguayan professors, and visited memorial sites such as Los Archivos del Terror (The Archives of Terror) and El Museo de las Memorias (The Museum of Memories). I learned that from 1954 to 1989, Paraguay was ruled by a brutal military dictatorship. For 35 years, General Alfredo Stroessner acted as “president” during which time his policies intentionally left the people of Paraguay destitute and disappeared countless others. He ruled the country in a “state of siege” so as to control the communist thought and other “dangers” in the country. In reality, the “communist thought” in Paraguay was not a threat serious enough to warrant his government’s grossly cruel actions.

...continue reading "Hello again fellow American"

By janellekranz

Dear fellow American,

You may be told to travel, in order to make the most of your life while you’re still young and have the ‘time’ to do so.

You may be told to study a language, so that you can improve your chances of landing a well-paying job in the future.

You may be part of a study abroad program, with the purpose of gaining a worldly perspective and improving the language you’re studying.

However, though you may travel, though you may speak the language well enough, you will never cease being American. Although your identity can prove to be helpful or hurtful in different situations, this fundamental part of yourself will surely prove to feel uncomfortable at times.

...continue reading "Dear fellow American,"